Trends in the Awarding of Knighthoods in Amtgard
[01/05/2003] [Kayrana]

What follows are statistics about knighthood in Amtgard. It answers some commonly asked questions. What belt is the most common? What belt is the least common? What kingdom awards the most belts? What kingdom awards the fewest belts? Were there more people knighted this year than last? What year were the most belts awarded? How many belts have ever been awarded? There has been lately, and have always been, hotly debated discussions about knighthood; discussions that would have been better served if more of the facts were known. The following tables answer these questions and many others. The key to getting the most out of this information is to ask yourself a question and then look at the table for the answer. Examine trends for changes from year to year and from kingdom to kingdom. Do the facts reflect your stereotypes?

The information used to calculate the following tables comes primarily from the Interkingdom Knights page hosted by Wetlands and originally compiled by Willow of Goldenvale. Some data required for this effort was not available there, namely where belts were awarded. That required a great deal of research on my part. I checked every kingdom’s web pages and knights pages (where they existed), consulted with leaders of kingdoms, and other individuals (Topknot-Wetlands, Lukor-Mystic Seas, Roger-Neverwinter, Thor, Guy, and Belgarion-Iron Mountains, Randall-Dragonspine, Angrist-Goldenvale) to compile the most accurate information available. Thus this collection of data is even more complete and accurate than the Interkingdom Knight’s page. I double checked it with that page Nov 30, 2002. Knighthoods that were awarded and later removed are not counted in this study (as if they were never awarded). All these tables were recalculated Dec 24, 2002. There are still some problems with the data for Celestial Kingdom (missing information), Mystic Seas (missing information and some belts credited to them may have been awarded by Valley of the Silvery Rains), and Valley of the Silvery Rains (some belts not credited to them perhaps should be). Better information has not surfaced. The information that is available is the best I can do and is not inaccurate enough to postpone the inquiry. The exact error in this data is difficult to calculate, but I guess it is better than 90% accurate. Updates since the last version: corrections from Belgarion of the Iron Mountains and new knights as of the last version.

Some of the highlights: Celestial Kingdom awards the most belts/year, Neverwinter the fewest belts/year (if you exclude Rising Winds, which has only been a kingdom since Clan 2002). Mystic Seas awards the most crown belts/year, Wetlands ties with Celestial Kingdom the most flame belts/year, Celestial Kingdom the most serpent belts/year, and Emerald Hills the most sword belts/year. The most belts awarded in one year was 15 by Celestial Kingdom in 1995. 507 belts have been awarded in Amtgard (not to be confused with 358 individuals who are knights).

Note: Years next to the kingdom abbreviations are the years that kingdom was awarded kingdom status. *There is some dispute over VS. They were awarding belts in 1993 and those knighthoods are not disputed, so that is the year I am using for their kingdom status. ** There are knighthoods with missing information. If I knew where it was awarded but not when it is listed under Unaccounted for by Year. If I knew when and not where it is listed under Uaccounted for by Kingdom. There are 4 belts I know neither when nor where they were awarded.

Equations:Total = Sum of all belts awarded by that kingdom (down the column) or that year (across the row)Belts/Year = Sum of all belts from that Kingdom/years that kingdom has existedBelts/Kingdom/Year = Total for the year / Kingdoms